Exploring Akiba Antiques’ Latest Eclectic Collection Sale with Alexander Anapolsky

Akiba Antiques hasn’t wasted much time in 2021, already hosting two auctions in the year. They’ll kick off February with the Eclectic Collection of Estates Worldwide sale on February 2nd. The 500+ lot auction includes work by Ernest Trova and Oleg Stavrowsky, as well as several French mantel clocks. Auction Daily reached out to Akiba Antiques’ co-owner Alexander Anapolsky to learn more about the featured lots and what else is in store for the auction house this year.

Auction Daily: The items on offer in the February 2nd sale certainly live up to the “eclectic” title. Give our readers an idea of the breadth of this sale across eras and categories.

Alexander Anapolsky: There’s a little bit of everything, including 18th and 19th-century antique porcelain, furniture, clocks, eclectic jewelry, mid-century items, and even a bike chandelier that is the size of an actual bike (lot #84). 

We like to have something for everybody. I think our auctions reflect that. If you want an expensive piece, we’ve got that. Are you looking for something simple? We’ve got that. On the high-end side, we have a Patek Philippe watch and designer clothing from Chanel and others. Another interesting category in this sale is outdoor items, such as an impressive koi fish garden fountain (lot #36).   

AD: Collectors poring over the auction catalog will probably be drawn to the elaborately-decorated French mantel clocks. Can you tell us a bit more about the category and why these particular mantel clocks stand out? 

Anapolsky: These mantel clocks come from a collector in South Florida. They purchased these all over the world, including Paris. The mantel clocks in February 2nd’s auction are just a few examples from the extensive collection. Bidders who like these clocks should also keep an eye on our other auctions this year. 

With that said, the best clock we have in this sale is going to be lot #14, a rare 19th-century French Empire mantel clock executed in gilt bronze. One more noteworthy clock is lot #24, another 19th-century example in red griotte marble. 

AD: This sale also features numerous works by Ernest Trova. Which of the available Trova sculptures should collectors keep a particularly close eye on? 

Anapolsky: Radical Cut figure (lot #88) is one of the larger pieces we’re currently offering by Trova. Like the mantel clocks, collectors can look forward to more Trova works from Akiba Antiques this year. Keep an eye on our auction catalogs to find more. 

AD: In a 500+ lot auction, there are usually a few pieces that slip under collectors’ radars but shouldn’t. Tell us about some hidden gems in this event. 

Anapolsky: The U.S. fractional currency shield (lot #79) is a really unique piece, and very few of them reach auction. These shields, produced in the 1860s, helped banks decide if the money they were receiving was real or counterfeit. 

Another unusual item is a pair of Peruvian oil jars (lot #46). Beyond just being niche, these particular jars are unusually big for the category. We also have a folk art sculpture (lot #8) that stands out. This piece is massive, 12 feet tall in total. It’s very unique; I’ve never seen something like that. 

We also have a couple of Oleg Stavrowsky paintings, lots #77 and #78. Stavrowsky, a Russian-American artist, painted with depth and a lot of detail. His artwork is pretty large scale, as well. These pieces came out of a prominent estate in Wyoming. 

AD: Beyond February 2nd’s Eclectic Collection sale, what do collectors have to look forward to from Akiba Antiques in 2021? 

Anapolsky: We’re looking to do more auctions than we did in the previous year and bring clients more high-end merchandise. We also want our auctions to provide better pieces at affordable prices. 

Looking at the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the marketplace, more sales are going online. So on our end, we want to provide great customer service in 2021 to ease the transition from live auctions to online sales. 

As far as particular events are concerned, we’ll be launching one of our biggest sales of the year soon. It will be during either the last week of February or the first week of March. Collectors can stay up to date by checking our website. 
Live bidding in the Eclectic Collection of Estates Worldwide sale begins on February 2nd, 2021, at 1:00 PM EST. Register to bid on LiveAuctioneers and learn more about the eclectic sale with Auction Daily’s extended coverage.